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I just got a Takeda 270mm gyuto which is incredible. It you already own a functional shun, I don't see the point in buying a global, or a wusthof, even a misono. With the exception of the wusthof, which I would consider to be in the class below, unless you just want something hefty with malleable steel. I would recommend something carbon steel, or at least a carbon core. If you look around you can find some great knives with great steels below 300 bucks, many below 200. Moritaka, for example makes a great gyuto with aogami super steel treated to 65 hrc, which is about ten higher than German stainless for 200 dollars from chefknivestogo.com. These knives do take a little more work than stainless, but their cutting ability and edge retention is amazing, not to mention they are beautiful, unique knives. I would recommend taking a peek at cktg and seeing what strikes your fancy. I love my new takeda and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates amazing knives and can drop two to three hundred bucks on a knife.
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cowboyardee
Feb 18, 2011 01:51 PM
I agree with Chem - we need to know:
What do you intend to use it for? Do you work a line in a restaurant?
How do you sharpen?
Price range?
What do you/don't you like about the Shun?
Stainless or no?
Do you want something sturdier, more precise, both? (To an extent, there's an inherent trade-off, though there are knives that are simultaneously both more sturdy and precise, usually at some other expense)
Lefty or righty?
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re: cowboyardee
What do you use it for? Do you have a smaller knife for fine slicing, etc., or is this your main knife? Do you intend to use it for splitting pumpkins, etc. and other hard-duty tasks, or do you use it to slice sashimi and paper-thin slices of tomato and eggplant?
Depending on the answer, the best recommendation could be anything from a razor-thin gyuto or sujihiki, up to a machete.
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re: jaykayen
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re: jaykayen
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re: jaykayen
Chemicalkinetics
Feb 20, 2011 06:53 AM
:) I guess my joke wasn't as funny as I thought.
It seems we still don't know why the original poster wants to replace his Shun knives. Is it because they are not sharp enough? Or it is because they are not tough enough?
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Chemicalkinetics
Feb 18, 2011 10:43 AM
rrstein,
Can you tell us what you are looking for in your new knife? What do you want to do with it mostly? Like Joonjoon, I am also interested in your reasoning of replacing the Shun.
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It would help with recs if you could tell us why you're getting rid of the shuns and what you're looking for in a replacement...
p.s. I'll be happy to take those shuns off your hands..
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re: joonjoon
Eiron
Feb 18, 2011 02:38 PM
+1 on joonjoon's comments. (another +1 on Chem's +1 of joonjoon's comments)
What you don't like about the Shun & what you want in the new knife are most important.
Another +1 on jaykayen's question.
Another +1 on CBAD's line of questioning.
So.... that's what? Like, uh, +5 so far? :-P
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re: Eiron
Yeah, Shuns are pretty good knives, and at that level of quality you're really splitting hairs if you're looking for something that *functions* better. The Shun can be sharpened to be just as sharp as any knife out there and the steel is good enough to hold that edge well. It's really more about personal preference - what handle/length/shape/weight distribution you prefer rather than than function.
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re: joonjoon
PPS- I'll take one for the team, and take those shuns off your hands as well... In fact, you wouldn't even have to bother mailing them off as I'd be willing to drive and pick them up.
But, I'm really curious why somebody would want to replace their Shun knives. That's what I'm saving up for, and I'd hate to spend that money only to end up disappointed with that purchase.
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re: hobbess
A number of reasons... it's a "japanese" knife... sorta. It has Japanese steel, but a more German profile, it's possible the OP wants something flatter. The knife could be chipping, too thick, small handle, etc.
I personally replaced my 8" shun because of a few of the aforementioned reasons. That's not to say you'll end up disappointed, I know I certainly didn't expect to be.
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re: hobbess
Chemicalkinetics
Feb 20, 2011 09:44 PM
Shun knives are good, but different people look for different things. Some look for straighter profile, some look for heftier blade... everyone is different.
If you want something of similar quality but cheaper, you can consider the following. They are all VG-10 core, similar to Shun Classic knives:
Kagayaki VG-10:
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/KAGAYAKIVG-10.html
Tojiro DP:
http://tojiro.net/en/products/knives_w_cobalt_p.html
Rysen's Tsuchima Dasmascus knives are about the same price point as Shun, but with fancier patterns:
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I think its hard to beat the Wusthof 10" chef's knife. They're now sharpened to the same angle as Asian knives and IMO their heft does a lot of the work for you.
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re: trimtab
Chemicalkinetics
Feb 18, 2011 10:42 AM
Only the Ikon lines of Wusthof are sharpened the same angle. Moreover angle is least of concern, you and I can sharpened the edge angle whenever we like. It is the rest which matters, like hardness, blade grind... etc.
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re: trimtab
Chemicalkinetics
Feb 18, 2011 01:05 PM
You are talking about the recent change then. I like the fact that they came out with a cool name for sharpening at a lower angle along with other changes: the "PEtec". Still, as mentioned, the factory edge angle probably is not a top concern when digged deeper. You and I can sharpen a knife to less than 10o if we desire.
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